Bangladesh on world map of innovation

Bangladesh is not particularly known for making breakthroughs in areas of science, technology and medicine. Satyendra Nath Bose, who developed way back in the 1920's with Einstein Bose-Einstein statistics, theorising the characteristics of elementary particles and after whom one of the two classes of sub-atomic particles has been named, is immortalised for his seminal work in quantum mechanics. Bose completed his most important research when he was a teacher at the University of Dhaka. Since then the country has not seen many such scientific achievements by scholars in this part of the world until Dr Maqsudul Alam appeared on the scene with his ground-breaking jute's genome sequencing. Sure enough, scientists at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) have to their credit accomplishing amazing feats.
Yet, admittedly, the world was hardly compelled to wonder at any pioneering role played by scientific community in this backwater of science. All this can change somewhat if the drug developed by Prof Rahmatullah, dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Development Alternative (UODA) in collaboration with Prof Young Kyu Lee of Korea National University of Transportation and Mohammad Nurunnabi, a Bangladeshi PhD student there, proves successful during its trial on human beings. Extracted from paddy husk, the components of the drug have shown amazing success in curing bird flue on application on birds, fish and shrimps. Apart from fighting H5N1 virus that causes avian flu, the drug will be effective in treating pancreatic cancer.
Now that the clinical tests with this drug are being carried on in Korea, Bangladesh and the United States of America, the process has advanced towards the desired goal. With the patent of the drug under their belt, the trio are now making preparation for submitting application for approval of their achievement to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Bangladesh Drug Administration. Prior to going for commercial manufacture of the drug, this approval is essential. Prof Rahmatullah claims that the drug is three to five times more effective than the existing Tamiflu and far less costly. For a full human dose, the cost would not be more than Tk150. But then its use in treating pancreatic cancer is something unique because no medicine other than this has ever been invented for the treatment of this disease. On that count, the medicine holds great hope before patients suffering from cancer of pancreas.
Hopefully, the drug will come out successfully through its clinical trial. In that case, its double benefits to patients of bird flu and pancreatic cancer will be a gift from Bangladesh to the world, thanks to the innovative mind and hard work the professor and his team has put in the project. In this connection, it will be improper if the adversity facing researchers here are not recorded. Lack of a well-equipped laboratory, fund and an overall environment for research and experiment proves overwhelming for anyone willing to do something innovative here. Only those with steely nerves can pursue such a dream and reach their destinations. Dr Maqsudul Alam and Dr Rahmatullah have almost charted an uncharted course. They will continue to be the leading lights for a generation of home-based researchers who nurture in their bosoms a hope to contribute to the pool of human knowledge and help the country to carve a distinct identity on the world map.